


Homeward Bound

by SeegerBean



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1960s, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Background Poly, Friendship, Gen, Lapis/Jasper/Peridot, Nice Jasper, Other, Period-Typical Racism, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-05-29 18:19:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15078920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeegerBean/pseuds/SeegerBean
Summary: It's 1969, and Pearl is heading across the country for Beach-a-Palooza, Delmarva's hottest concert. On the way, she picks up a few hitchhikers, and the three form a tight bond.





	1. Strange When You're A Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> The Doors - Touch Me   
>  The Beatles - Helter Skelter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introductions

Pearl stomped the brakes of the ancient van, gritting her teeth as it creaked and moaned to a stop. If she was being perfectly honest with herself, she didn’t like the idea of hitchhikers; strangers made her paranoid. However, it wasn’t every day that you saw a woman with red and blue hair. Furthermore, where other hitchhikers had waved their arms frantically and screamed to get her attention, the girl in front of her had quietly held her thumb out, staring at Pearl. Curiosity had gotten the better of her.

“Thanks for stopping. ” As the girl got closer to the van, Pearl also saw that her eyes were different colors too, blue and green that stood out against her mahogany skin. Before she could react, the girl had hopped into the passenger’s seat, slinging a rucksack noisily into the back, where it landed next to Pearl’s gym bag. “Name’s Garnet.”

“Pearl. Where are you headed?” Pearl had to look up to meet Garnet’s eyes, a feat considering that Pearl was almost six feet tall.

“Same way this van’s headed.”

“Beach-a-Palooza? Hard to believe you’re headed up to Delmarva too.”

“At least for now.”

Pearl sighed, confused by her new travel buddy. People were looking for greater and better things these days, and she supposed that she was just like anyone else in this aspect.

For the first hour or so of driving, neither said too much. On the radio, Jim Morrison pleaded with his baby to touch him.

After a while, Pearl turned the radio down. “So, Garnet is it? You never exactly answered me earlier. What’s your destination?”

“I answered. Wherever this van’s headed, which is apparently Delmarva.”

“And when you get there?”

“If I get there.”

“Excuse me?”

“Well, Delmarva is still a few days away. I might hop on another van before then, or you might kick me out. The future holds endless opportunities.”

Pearl couldn’t help but groan. “You’re one of those navel-gazers, aren’t you?”

“Not particularly. I find others to be much more enlightening than myself.” Although she answered Pearl in the same easy manner, her smile slipped slightly. 

“Fair enough, I guess,” Pearl muttered, before continuing. “Well, as I said, we’re going to Beach-a-Palooza. It’s a music festival, so I hope you’re ready for  _ that _ crowd.”

“I’m ready for any crowd.”

Pearl couldn’t help but snort. “My, Garnet, you are an optimist.”

“Can’t afford not to be. It’s a dark path if you let yourself get carried away with all the negative opportunities possible. So, I just don’t let myself get carried away.”

“I have to admit, I like that mindset. Easier said than done, though.”

Garnet said nothing, simply nodding and smiling.

Pearl turned the radio back up, allowing Jim Morrison to fill the van’s silence again. The sun set behind them, casting a purple glow on the long and narrow road before them.

 

The new companions woke up with the sunrise. Last night, they had simply pulled off the road a couple hundred feet, sleeping where they sat. Now, Garnet sat with a map, her brow furrowed as she looked for a nearby gas station.

“Looks like the nearest one was ten miles back.”

“Of course it was.” Pearl scrubbed her teeth with a dry toothbrush, hand on her narrow hip. “Well, we better get started.” The two women climbed into the van, both wincing as it achily roared to life.

“Pearl, this thing is a dinosaur.”

“Yes, but it was a very cheap dinosaur.”

Garnet giggled. “Can’t argue with that. I hope you named it.”

Pearl blushed for a second. “Crystal.”

Garnet nodded, holding out two thumbs-up.

The gas station was a quick drive. Garnet waited for the van to guzzle the necessary fuel, while Pearl slipped inside the icehouse to grab snacks. She ate like a bird, but grabbed some extra food in case her new acquaintance was the ravenous type. As she turned to leave, she paused, looking at her form in the window’s reflection. She knew that she looked the  _ least _ likely to be driving half way across the country for a music festival: her empire-waist dress hung from her gaunt figure, and her strawberry-blonde bob was far too neat for her to be part of that crowd.

Her eyes focused and her attention shifted to Garnet outside, leaning up against the cream-colored van and staring off into the distance. She was peculiar, but Pearl had to admire how she didn’t seem to question anything thrown her way. Pearl knew that she could never do that.

_ “You’re going where?” _

_ Rose had simply smiled indulgently. “I told you, Greg’s playing a show next week, and I’m going to follow him up.” _

_ “But Delmarva?” _

_ “Isn’t it exciting?” Rose squealed, shoving another dress into her suitcase. “This could be the start of something big for Mr. Universe.” _

_ Pearl rolled her eyes at his pretentious stage name but said nothing. She had never outright disliked Greg, but their personalities couldn’t have been any more different. When he had started hanging out with Rose more and more, it did nothing to ingratiate himself with Pearl. _

_ Pearl heard her name being called and shook her head. “What?” _

_ “I said, are you sure you don’t want to come with us? It’s going to be quite an adventure.” _

_ Pearl grimaced. “No, I’m not one for road trips, or huge crowds, or loud music. But you have fun.” She tried and failed to keep a weak smile on her face. _

_ “Of course!” Rose turned back to her packing, quietly humming one of Greg’s newer melodies. _

_ Pearl went back to her room, flopping facedown onto her pillow. “I’m sure you will . . .” _

Pearl quickly paid for the snacks and left, only really shaken from her thoughts when she saw Garnet in the driver’s seat. Garnet waved cheerfully.

“Hop in, Pearl!”

“I don’t recall saying you could drive my van.”

“You drove all last evening. It’s smart to take turns.”

Pearl rolled her eyes, but climbed in. Having someone else be the practical one was a bit annoying. Garnet only smiled wider before turning on the radio full blast, peeling out of the gas station as Pearl’s screeches mixed with McCartney’s screams of helter-skelter. 

For such a level-headed person, Garnet was an undeniable speed demon. Pearl could only count her blessings that they were out in the middle of nowhere, only seeing other drivers sporadically. However, the more they drove, the more it surprised Pearl to see that, despite a certain recklessness, Garnet could not be said to be a bad driver. If anything, she was only able to rocket down the interstate so fast because she was such a good driver. Pearl leaned back and closed her eyes, settling in for a quick nap.

The nap was quicker than she had hoped for as she was suddenly awoken by Garnet slamming on the brakes. She looked over at the taller woman, who only pointed in front of them. Pearl followed her direction, curious what stopped them.

A young girl stared at them defiantly, backpack in one hand and some instrument case in the other. Pearl groaned, loudly. “Garnet, I’ve already picked up one hitchhiker. I’m not turning this van into a glorified school bus.”

“Hardly glorified to leave people out in the middle of nowhere, either. Besides, look how young she is, Pearl.”

Pearl huffed and turned to look at the girl again. She was pretty young; she looked to be barely 18. The girl shifted her weight nervously, but kept staring, her grip tight on her belongings.

Pearl stuck her head out the window. “Which way are you going?”

The girl walked slowly closer. “I don’t care. Just away from here. Maybe Empire City.”

“Well, we’re heading to Delmarva, so that’s pretty close. You want a lift?”

The girl stuck her head in the window to get a better look at the two women. “Y’all aren’t serial killers, right?”

Garnet gave a friendly wave, but otherwise stayed silent. Pearl sighed and unlocked the back door. “Hop in, kid.”

The newcomer slipped into the backseat, squeezing herself in with everyone else’s suitcases and her case. Now that she was in the car, Pearl took the time to look at her better.

For starters, she was short, even when not compared to Pearl and Garnet. It looked like she barely overshot four feet. Her brown hair, held from her eyes by a thick purple bandana, reached nearly to her feet. 

“Y’all got any food?”

Pearl reached between her feet, handing the hitchhiker a snack cake. “What’s your name, by the way?”

“Amethyst.”

“Nice to meet you, Amethyst. I’m Pearl, and this is Garnet.”

Amethyst nodded as she messily ate the cake, crumbs flying everywhere. Pearl bit her tongue hard, determining that it would probably be rude to chastise the stranger who had just been invited into her vehicle--although barely more so than making such an obnoxious mess in the car of the person who was taking them to Delmarva.

Amethyst licked her lips, burping loudly. “Groovy, thanks for the cake. I needed that.”

“No problem,” Pearl said a little too cheerily through gritted teeth. She decided to change the subject before her irritation became too obvious. “What’s in there?” she inquired, pointing to Amethyst’s black case.

“Ukulele, I bought it before I decided to hit the road. Hard to be a wandering soul without background music, ya know?”

Garnet chuckled, the van now at her optimum cruising speed. “Nothing like a good tune for the weary soul. You’re in luck then, because we’re going to something called Beach-a-Palooza.”

Amethyst’s eyes lit up. “Dude! No way! Aw man, this day just got even awesomer!” She whooped loudly, cackling with excitement. Garnet laughed even harder, while even Pearl had a small smile slowly growing bigger. 

Pearl didn’t generally like the idea of hitchhikers; however, these two seemed to be an exception.


	2. Learn How To Be You In Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The road, reflections, and a ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising  
> Simon & Garfunkel - Homeward Bound  
>  CW: mention of period-typical racism

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. Garnet and Pearl continued to trade off at the wheel, Amethyst begging at each stop to just drive for a mile, despite her lack of a driver’s license. Pearl would not budge, and Garnet would only shrug sympathetically.

Night came sooner than they expected, and they again pulled off the road aways to sleep in the van.

“So, no hotel tonight? Groovy.” Amethyst cackled as she sprawled out in the back seat.

“Don’t get too comfy,” Pearl warned, “it’s a cramped space and we all need to spare a little room.”

Amethyst’s eyes lit up. “I might have something that’ll make us feel reeaal cozy.”

“An extra pillow?”

“Even better.” Amethyst giggled mischievously, before pulling out a small tin case and a lighter. The tin popped open to reveal eight or nine joints, tightly rolled.

Pearl’s eyes bugged out of her head. “Where did those come from?”

“Me, dude. Didn’t you see me pull them out?”

Pearl shook her head ferociously. “No, no, no! I’m not going to go to jail because some vagrant looped me into drugs!”

Amethyst shrugged. “I mean, do you see any cops? It’s night in the middle of nowhere. Besides, no one’s forcing you. You can take it or leave it.”

Pearl turned to Garnet. “You’re probably a responsible type, you talk to her.”

Garnet hadn’t even heard Pearl. She stared at the joint in a manner that could only be described as reverently. She held out her hand, looking at Amethyst for silent confirmation. When Amethyst nodded, she pulled it from her hand delicately, barely holding it with her fingertips.

“You alright? It’s just a joint.” Amethyst and Pearl stared at Garnet, who paid them no mind. Amethyst tapped her shoulder and she jumped, suddenly remembering the other two women in the van.

“Sorry! I’ve just never smoked before.” Garnet was positively blushing. “I’ve always wanted to though.”

“Welp, guess we’ll fix that tonight.” Amethyst stuck her tongue out at Pearl and lit the tightly wrapped paper before deeply inhaling, holding her breath as she passed it to Garnet, who timidly did the same before violently coughing.

“Easy!” Amethyst slapped her back, taking the glowing joint from her and offering it to Pearl. “You wanna try?”

Pearl grumbled but took it, puffing on it rather daintily. The three passed it in a circle, Amethyst and Garnet hitting it pretty hard each time, Pearl slowly growing bolder and bolder with each hit.

“Damn, we tore through that.” Amethyst wore a dopey little grin, but otherwise seemed much the same. “How are you guys doing?”

Pearl giggled and snorted, leaning into the headrest of her seat. “I have to say, this is pretty fun. Garnet?”

Garnet made a whooshing sound but said nothing, making the other two crack up. Garnet looked at them confused before joining in on the laughter.

“Whoosh,” said Amethyst, once they had all quieted down.

“Whoosh,” responded Pearl.

The three looked at each other and began doubling up with laughter all over again. It would be some time before the three fell asleep.

 

Garnet woke up first, the sun almost perfectly in her eyes. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up, looking at her comrades. Pearl sat almost upright, her arms folded neatly in her lap. Amethyst sprawled out in the backseat, Garnet’s rucksack a makeshift pillow. The morning light cast peach bands across both of their sleeping forms, and Garnet felt an intangible peace run up her spine.

She sat still in her seat, gazing down at her wrists. Before she had left, her mothers had each given her a bracelet, a memento for the road ahead. On her left hand was a red macrame bracelet, sloppy but tied tight. Her right hand’s token was blue and much more precisely tied. Garnet pulled her necklace up from behind her shirt, feeling its star shape with both hands. That had been her little brother’s contribution.

_“Garnet, why are you leaving?” Her brother sat on the edge of her bed, confusion mixing with hurt on his young face._

_“Steven, there’s only so much you can learn about yourself staying in the same place for twenty years. I just need to see the world for a little bit. I won’t be gone forever.” She paced around the room, selecting the bare minimum necessary to fit in her rucksack. She wanted to travel light._

_“So why can’t I come with you?”_

_“You’re a little young for traveling by yourself.”_

_“I’m fourteen! And besides, you’ll protect me!” He caught her mid-stride, placing his hands on her shoulders. Standing on the bed, he was almost eye-level with her. Garnet sighed and kissed his forehead, saying nothing. Steven frowned, then scampered off the bed, running to his room. When he returned, he was carrying a cheap plastic star on the end of a ball chain._

_“You have to promise to come back, okay Garnet?” He held out the necklace fiercely. Garnet chuckled and took the jewelry from him, sliding it over head._

_“I promise.”_

A rustling from behind her disturbed her reverie, and she quickly tucked her necklace back out of sight. Amethyst sat up, loudly yawning and scratching her side. Pearl snorted and started, woken up by Amethyst’s sudden noises.

“Good morning, you two.”

“Mornin’ Garnet,” Amethyst mumbled, stretching until she was nearly bumping against Pearl’s jaw. “What’s today’s agenda?”

Pearl pushed the hand away from her face. “Driving, then more driving. If we keep up a good speed, we might be able to get there by tomorrow night.” Amethyst groaned but said nothing else. Garnet, already in the driver’s seat, turned the keys and took off as Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising” was pumped into the van over the radio.

Outside, the landscape was slowly shifting from uniform flatness to gentle rolling hills, vegetation sticking more and more to their surroundings. Small towns came and went, each as frozen in time as the last. Certain towns were sped through more quickly than others, Garnet sinking deep into the passenger’s seat.

Now they were deep in the hills, a few hours outside any town. “So,” Amethyst began suddenly, reaching up to turn the radio down, “who are y’all most excited to see at Beach-a-Palooza?”

Garnet shrugged. “If I even make it there. I’m sure I’ll find something I appreciate.”

Pearl groaned a little, but kept her mouth shut.

“Come on, you two don’t even sound that excited. Beach-a-Palooza is the greatest festival the East Coast has to offer! Did you guys know that Sour Cream got his big break there five years ago?”

Pearl wrinkled her nose in confusion. “I don’t think I’ve heard of them.”

Amethyst rolled her eyes. “Bummerrr. You’ve got to check him out some time, his stuff is pretty far out. What about Neil Young?”

“Oh, my moms love him!” Garnet grinned with fondness.

“Did you say ‘moms’?” Pearl and Amethyst looked at Garnet with mild confusion. For a moment, Garnet said nothing, noisily sucking on her bottom teeth. When she spoke, it was shaky.

“Yeah, my moms. They’re not married, of course, but they love each other and raised me and my brother. So, moms.”

“Far out.” Amethyst clapped Garnet’s shoulder. “That sounds pretty great, moms are the best.”

Pearl wiped a sudden tear from her eye. “Good for them.”

Garnet wore a goofy little grin, her face suddenly warm. “Thanks. You guys are alright.”

“You said you had a brother?” Pearl kept wiping the tears away, sniffling quietly.

Garnet’s smile only grew bigger. “Yeah, his name’s Steven. I don’t think I’ve ever met a kid with a bigger, braver heart.” For a moment, Garnet was tempted to pull out her necklace to show her friends, but she decided not to; that was hers, at least for now. “It’ll be nice to see him again.”

Amethyst grabbed the ukulele from its case, tuning it slowly. “Must be nice, having a family that loves you like that.” Her voice was cheery enough, but she was glad the other two women were facing forwards, away from her. She began to strum slowly, her scratchy voice filling the back of the van with a Simon and Garfunkel song. The two women up front listened quietly for a moment before adding their own voices, Pearl’s high and clear, Garnet’s surprisingly soft and airy, the three singing hopefully of a future waiting for them and a home to return to.

 

The next morning, the van would not start.

Garnet hemmed and hawed under the hood, lightly prodding various tubes and wires in an attempt to at least look helpful. Pearl stood next to her, actively connecting and reconnecting bits and pieces, muttering frantically to herself. Every couple of minutes she would stick her head around to tell Amethyst to try and start it again, each time to no avail. After half an hour, the three deflated, bitter at their defeat. Amethyst was particularly frustrated, punching the dashboard.

“Well, this is awesome! We’re literally stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no food, no water, and no hope!”

“Yes, Amethyst, I believe we’re all aware of the situation,” Pearl growled, pinching the bridge of her nose. “At the very least, we’re in the middle of nowhere next to a highway. I’m sure that if we wait long enough, we can find someone to help us.”

“So what do we do until then?”

“Wait,” came Garnet’s gentle reply.

Amethyst’s shoulders sagged, but she couldn’t argue. She hopped out of the vehicle and grabbed her ukulele, mindlessly strumming as the three looked up and down the stretch of road before them. After another ten minutes that felt like an hour, a small dot appeared on the horizon.

“Hallelujah, we have a savior!” Amethyst crowed. The dot grew steadily larger, revealing itself to be a black school bus.

“What on Earth?” muttered Pearl.

The bus was, indeed, mostly black, littered with stars and galaxies. However, a large green hand took up most of the side, outstretched as it soared through space. Below the hand, in rainbow lettering, a single word was sloppily painted: “Homeworld”.

The bus stopped in front of them, and a massive woman with burns on her face and a mane of white-blonde hair flying every direction stuck her head out, grinning wildly.

“Name’s Jasper, to what do I owe the pleasure?”


	3. People On The River Are Happy To Give

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not Further, but it's close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No music this time around!  
> Maybe play some Grateful Dead?

The three women gawked at the monstrosity before them, stunned silent. 

“Ladies, I appreciate the love for the ride,” Jasper interrupted, turning their eyes back to her, “but we’ve got a Beach-a-Palooza to catch and we’re already a few steps behind. If you want, we can hitch you up and tow you to the nearest mechanic.”

“Beach-a-Palooza? That’s where we’re headed!” Amethyst jumped up and down excitedly.

“Well, shit, how about that? We’ll just pop your van on the back and take you there, get you fixed up in Delmarva, how does that sound?”

“I don’t know, we really don’t want to be a problem,” Pearl stammered.

“Nonsense! Some new partners for the road are never a problem! You guys come on in, I’ll get your ride hooked up.”

The three friends quickly grabbed their belongings before cautiously entering the bus.

Like the outside, the inside was also painted with stars on a black background. In certain corners, strange little alien figures could be seen, almost as if they were hiding from the intruders until they came to trust them. Instead of bus seats, the inside had been refurbished with a few cabinets and couches along the sides. Two equally strange women met their gaze.

The first woman was dressed in a narrow blue and white tie-dye sundress, her attention completely on the book she was reading. Her hair, dark black to the point of blue highlights, was cut short and masculine, framing her sharp chin. Her eyes flicked up, her only acknowledgment of the guests, and immediately dove back into her book.

The second woman was probably around Amethyst’s height, but it was impossible to tell as she strutted towards them in steep platform shoes. She wore a tight fitting green dress with ornamental green sunglasses, and her straw-blonde hair was swept back into a low bouffant. She shook their hands vigorously, obviously excited.

“Stars, it’s so nice to see new faces on the road! I’m Peridot, and the silent woman is Lapis. It sounds like you’ve already met Jasper.” She turned to Lapis, lightly kicking her foot. “Babe, don’t be rude, say hi!”

Lapis looked up at them, waving a quick peace sign. “Howdy.” She flashed a smile, small but genuine, returning to her book.

Peridot beamed down at Lapis before turning her attention back to the strangers on her bus. “So, who are you, and where are you headed?” Peridot began digging around in the cabinets, pulling out jugs of water and beef jerky, distributing it as she spoke.

“I’m Pearl, these are Garnet and Amethyst, and we’re actually going to Beach-a-Palooza.” Pearl took a large bite of the jerky, surprised at how flavorful it was. “Jasper said that’s where you three are headed?”

“Yes ma’am! We heard that Sour Cream was going to do a duet with Janis Joplin, and we’re always looking to find the next big thing.”

“I thought I was your big thing,” Jasper interjected, grinning as she boarded the bus. “The van’s hooked up, so we’re ready to go whenever you all want. Have you already introduced yourselves?” The five women nodded and Jasper clapped her hands together loudly. “Cool! Let’s jet!” Jasper lumbered back to the front of the bus, having to slightly hunch due to her size, and the vehicle roared to life. The trio sat on the couch closest to Lapis, still trying to process their morning. Peridot quickly busied herself in one the cabinets, swaying against the bus’ movements with a practiced consistency.

Lapis put down her book, pointing lazily to Amethyst’s carrying case. “Uke?”

“Yeah, man, what’s a road trip without some good tunes?”

Lapis nodded respectfully, never quite making eye contact. “I feel you, generally whoever’s not driving is back here jamming.” She turned their attention to a few cases shoved into a corner. “If you play anything else, we’ve got a guitar, a bass, some bongos. Help yourself.”

Amethyst squealed and immediately went to examine her possibilities. Lapis smiled, a small and strange feature on her face, and picked up her book. Pearl leaned over to look at the bright cover and squinted in confusion at the apparently nonsensical title.

“ _ The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test _ ? Sounds violent.”

“Oh no,” Peridot interrupted from behind the cabinet’s door, “it’s nothing like that.” She paused. “Well, maybe one or two of the bad trips aren’t too much fun, but that text has been more or less our bible. Jasper is the one who read it and decided to get this whole thing started. To be fair, it was a fairly easy pitch.”

“Your bible? What are you three doing then?”

Peridot stuck her head around the door, stars shining in her eyes. “We are collectors of experiences, pioneers of the mind and astronauts of the soul!”

“We go to festivals and take a lot of drugs,” Lapis drolly noted from behind the book.

Peridot opened her mouth to offer a rebuttal but was silenced by the sound of a bass. Amethyst, after much searching, had found where to plug in the instrument, and her music was now being piped in over speakers arranged throughout the bus.

Garnet raised her eyebrows, looking around as if to see the music. “Very nice.”

“Thank you, it was my design!” Peridot flashed a toothy grin and turned back to the cabinet. The other three said nothing, listening to Amethyst playing. Her attack was heavy, based on the slight buzz, but she was remarkably good. Garnet silently went over, looking for the bongos. Pearl pulled her knees up to her chest, sitting next to Lapis. Peridot began to pull out small sheets of paper, each decorated with what appeared to be cartoon foods that were crying. 

“So why are you out here?” Lapis didn’t look up from her book.

Pearl looked over at Lapis, taking a second to realize the question was directed at her. “Excuse me?”

“Well, not to judge, but you’re the most normal looking person on this bus. What were you doing driving to Beach-a-Palooza in that hunk of junk?”

Pearl’s cheeks burned, suddenly defensive at being questioned like this. “The van was cheap!”

Lapis rolled her eyes and put down her book. “Nice job focusing on the least important part of the question.”

Pearl looked down at her hands, anxiously running her long fingers over each other. “I’m going up to see a friend. She went ahead, after her—” She didn’t know what to call their relationship, and her throat seemed to close for a second. “After her friend.” She looked up at Lapis to see a knowing smirk. “What?”

“You like her.”

Pearl’s cheeks were now positively on fire. She made a wild motion with her hands before Lapis caught them, setting them back in her lap slowly. Amethyst and Garnet shot them a strange look, but kept on playing, Garnet’s bongos now ringing with an intricate rhythm.

“Pearl, I live on a bus with my two girlfriends, do you really think I wouldn’t catch your gay vibes?” 

Pearl sighed, resting her head on her knees. “I don’t know if I’m gay. I just know that she’s not, and I know that I’ll regret it if I don’t tell her how I feel.”

“So you bought a lemon and took off for the coast. Do these two know?”

Pearl shook her head. “I literally picked both of them up three days ago.”

Lapis nodded before picking her book back up and leaning back again. “I won’t talk.”

The music suddenly died down. Peridot had waved them silent before dashing to the front of the bus, talking quietly with Jasper. Jasper waved her hand at Peridot, shooing her away, and Peridot returned, pouting, before tucking the papers she had pulled out back into the cabinet.

“What are those anyways?” Pearl asked.

“They  _ were _ going to be an initiation into Homeworld, but Jasper said we should wait until tomorrow morning. Something about keeping the trip well lit.”

Amethyst looked at Peridot suspiciously. “Where did you even get those?”

“Made it myself before we left.” Peridot looked incredibly self-satisfied.

Pearl rolled her eyes. “What are they?” she asked again, now through gritted teeth.

“Acid,” Lapis interjected, tapping her book lightly.

There was a sudden noise behind them and the four turned to see Garnet looking absolutely giddy. She had shoved the bongos aside in her excitement and was now practically trembling, her mouth dropped in a wide smile. Amethyst snickered behind her hand while Pearl began to realize a trend with her travel buddy. Sighing, she turned to Peridot.

“So, tomorrow morning then?” Her voice was filled with dry resignation; she had already smoked pot, she might as well continue with her experiences.

“Precisely. Jasper said we’ll go about a mile off the road, get ourselves ready, then launch.” The four ignored the squealing noise that Garnet made.

 

The six women sat in a circle, alternating between Jasper’s group and “initiates” to “keep the balance”, according to Jasper. Garnet’s smile had not yet faded, and Amethyst was beginning to wear a similar expression. Jasper, Peridot, and Lapis looked comfortable, and even Pearl was allowing herself a certain level of curious optimism. Inside the bus, christmas lights were haphazardly strewn about, little mirrors hung from the lights. Outside, the first rays of dawn were creeping over the land.

“Now remember,” Jasper instructed in a gentle voice, “you are safe in here. You control the ride; if you feel yourself going a place you’re not comfortable with, try to steer yourself in a more positive direction. I’ll be abstaining so I can keep driving us, and these two lovely ladies,” she giggled, winking at her girlfriends, “have done this a couple times before. I’ll say it again: you control the ride.”

Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl nodded, taking the small pieces of paper from Peridot’s hands and placing them gently on their tongues. Peridot handed a square to Lapis and they joined in. They looked at each other, wide-eyed.

“So . . . How long does it take for it to kick in?” Amethyst tapped an imaginary watch on her wrist.

“About half an hour.”

Amethyst groaned and flopped onto her back. “Wake me up when I start seeing rainbows.”


	4. Remember What The Dormouse Said

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trippy trips are trippy; emotional emotions are emotional.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No real music for this chapter either, but Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" is always good for a listen. Maybe The Beatles' "Within You Without You".  
> This chapter has some soul-searching, so be warned.  
> Lastly, full disclaimer: I have never done acid. What I am presenting is the result of much secondhand research. Take all inaccuracies with a grain (or much more) of salt.

It took Pearl a moment to realize that anything had changed. She sat next to Garnet, staring outside as the landscape as it whizzed by. Mountains were carpeted in deep green and wildflowers danced their way from the distant fields to right beside the road. The sun hung high in the sky, slowly burning off the few tendrilous clouds of the morning.

Pearl blinked a few times, feeling a strange shift. She looked over at Garnet, noticing her for the first time. Her hair was especially captivating, each curly strand mixing into the next, blues and reds and bleached roots mixing together in a harmony that took Pearl’s breath away. Garnet turned from the window to ask Pearl a question, but caught her eyes, staring intently back at her.

Pearl’s focus shifted to the passing mountains, each seemingly a shade of green darker than the last. The mountains blurred together until it was only a rising and falling line of emerald life pulsating against the pale blue sky. The clouds were even fewer now, but they crept slowly along, snakes of water vapor held together through some unknowable force.

“The clouds are love,” Pearl breathed softly. She pressed her face to the window, giggling at the cool feeling of the glass against her forehead. “Garnet, do you see the clouds?”

“I’m trying, Pearl.” The two sat shoulder to shoulder, Amethyst joining them quietly. She was frowning, but otherwise seemed okay. Pearl gently reached out to her friends, resting a hand on their shoulders. Amethyst stiffly leaned into her, while Garnet stayed immobile. For some period of time, the three sat, staring.

Now the clouds really were snakes. Pearl could almost see the individual scales as they crept through the sky on flat stomachs that matched the pale grey of their eyes as they regarded the bus with lazy amusement. The verdant land below was breathing slowly, watching the white snakes above it with an ancient patience that Pearl found unspeakably beautiful. A few tears escaped from her eyes, and she marveled at their warmth as they gently drifted down her face. 

Amethyst was now at the back of the bus, muttering to herself, and Garnet was now staring intently at her wrists, her mouth agape. Pearl looked around briefly, barely noticing the change. Behind her, Peridot and Lapis sat in a tangled embrace, staring lazily into each other’s eyes. Jasper sat in the driver’s seat, occasionally risking taking her eyes off the road to check behind her.

Pearl noticed the sun was now no longer visible through the window. How long had she been staring? Did acid make time go faster? Could a chemical change the inherent structure of time? The thought overwhelmed Pearl and she laid down on a couch, redirecting her attention to the starry night coating the inside of the bus. It was a miniature universe. Universe. Greg. Rose.

Pearl laced her fingers together, suddenly a bit uneasy. The stars began to sway slowly in front of her, and she could see the outline of Rose’s face, a personal constellation. She stretched her arm out slowly, hoping to touch the image, but it remained beyond her. The longer she stared at the painted stars, the more she could make out of Rose’s face: her wide eyes and permanent smile, the mess of hair that sat atop her shoulders. Suddenly, Rose began to speak, her honey-like voice thick in Pearl’s ears.

_ “Why are you doing this?” _

“It was an opportunity to take. How many times did you tell me to break out of my shell?” Pearl barely exhaled to speak, her lips moving silently around her intended words. Each thought entered and left her mind in an instant, and speaking was confusing and indirect.

Rose smiled wistfully.  _ “Even when you do something for yourself, you’re doing it for me.” _

Pearl swallowed, tears forming in her eyes again. “ If I can’t do anything for you, why wouldn’t I do something for myself? Would you even let me do anything for myself?"

_ “But you did this for them, so you could have a story to tell me. Oh, Pearl, don’t you know that I’m already proud of you?” _

Pearl wiped her eyes, Rose’s face looking down at her kindly regardless of whether or not her eyes were open. “I don’t know that. I don’t know how to be myself. I love you.”

She shivered. She could almost feel Rose putting a hand on her shoulder. Now Rose was more than a face, floating horizontally above her, still wearing the same sad smile.  _ “And I love you. But you’ve seen the stars in my eyes when I see the universe. You need to find your place on Earth.” _

Pearl shivered, loss metallic on her tongue. She knew what was being asked of her and she hated it. Before her eyes, Rose’s face began to shift and warp until it was no longer hers but Greg’s staring down with a goofy grin. Pearl wasn’t sure whether to laugh or scream. His eyes began to spiral in and out of focus, his impossibly long hair reaching down to Pearl, passing over and through her. She rolled off the couch, landing with a thud on the floor, giggling to herself. When she saw Greg again, she’d ask him what conditioner he used.

 

Garnet knew she was acting like a kid in a candy shop, but she didn’t care. If there was one way to dig deep into yourself, acid was it. She had taken the blotter with everyone else, and now sat next to Pearl, the two staring at each other. Garnet was especially fascinated with the gradient of blue that shimmered lightly in Pearl’s irises. Suddenly Pearl was leaning forward, pressed close to Garnet, murmuring something to herself. She turned back to Garnet, her eyes impossibly wide and somehow growing wider. 

“Garnet, do you see the clouds?”

Garnet wrenched herself away from Pearl, staring intently at the wisps of clouds in the distance. “I’m trying, Pearl.” She could see them, but they seemed to fade in and out of the blue sky behind them. They were trickster clouds, unwilling to let themselves be consumed by just anyone. She wondered who was considered worthy to see the clouds.

Garnet felt a hand on her shoulder but didn’t bother to respond. The hand was not important like the clouds were important. She chewed on her lip, pondering her own worthiness. Maybe she had to prove herself to the clouds. A small noise of frustration escaped Garnet’s throat, and she clasped her hands together in thought.

Bringing her hands together shifted her attention, and now she was staring at her wrists with their bracelets. A gift from each mother, a token and effigy to bear as hers and hers alone. She could see the strings of each bracelet winding and unwinding, lacing through her skin and up her arms, coming to meet above her eyes. Her necklace seemed to burn into her chest, and she could hear it glowing, her protective armor from the world.

Garnet frowned. If she was wearing armor, then she needed to be protected from something; something was after her. Her chest felt like a vice, the sudden image of a thousand monsters overtaking the bus incredibly vivid. She looked around her. Pearl was lying down on a couch, slowly waving her arms in front of her and silently moving her lips. Amethyst was playing the bongos sullenly, sniffling. Peridot and Lapis were giggling as they ran their hands over each other’s faces. Garnet began to giggle herself, the bus full of woman suddenly absurd to her. 

She stared down at her chest, the star glowing even brighter now. It was too bright; she needed to shield her eyes. Garnet got on her hands and knees, crawling over to Lapis and Peridot. When they noticed her, their smiles remained just as big.

“How’s outer space?” Peridot asked.

“Bright. I need—” Garnet stammered, the word “sunglasses” escaping her. She put her hands in circles over her eyes and Peridot nodded, understanding.

“Loud and clear.” She turned away from Lapis, pulling out a small suitcase. She popped it open, revealing several more dresses, each equally unique. In a small pocket up top were multiple sunglasses that coordinated with Peridot’s outfits. She chose a pair with a thick black cat-eye frame, passing it slowly to Garnet. She put them on slowly, relaxing.

“Thank you, Peridot.” Peridot didn’t answer, now focused entirely on Lapis again.

A sudden noise caught Garnet’s attention and she turned to see Pearl on the floor, laughing. Amethyst was still far away from everyone else, her face dark. Garnet crawled over to her, placing her hands on top of Amethyst’s. The shorter girl looked up at Garnet, startled. The two women stared at each other, processing one another. Amethyst’s face crumpled up and she leaned forward into her arms. Garnet wordlessly held her, running her fingers slowly through her hair. Although she was holding Amethyst, her mind turned to her brother back home. In her mind’s eye, she could see him at the dinner table with their mothers. The more she watched the scene, the less she paid attention to the external world.

_ Ruby sits next to Sapphire on one side of the table, Steven on the other. Sapphire is a short woman with pale blonde hair that covers her eyes most of the time. She dresses like a pastel housewife, an inside joke with her rebellion that only she laughs at. Ruby dresses in a masculine manner, her thick, curly hair held up with a red bandana. Steven is dressed in his usual faded tee and jeans. None of them seem to be particularly invested in their meal. _

_ “Any calls yet?” Steven is the first to break the silence. _

_ “Nothing yet,” Ruby replies with a small smile. Sapphire sighs but covers it with her own grin. Steven says nothing, staring down at his food. _

_ “You’re not hungry?” Sapphire’s smile falls. _

_ Steven shakes his head, staring down at the meal on his plate. Ruby and Sapphire look at each other, a silent conversation passing between them. They both lean forward, each taking one of Steven’s hands in their own.  _

_ “She’ll call soon. She’s probably just forgetful, off having the time of her life.” Ruby squeezes his hand. _

_ “She just had some exploring to do. She’ll be back soon enough.” Sapphire laces her fingers in his. _

_ Steven keeps looking down, his frown deepening. “You guys keep telling me that, that she ‘had’ to do this, she had to ‘find herself’. Were we not enough for her?” _

_ Two chairs nearly clatter to the floor as Ruby and Sapphire rush to his side, holding him tight between them.  _

“Garnet!” Amethyst was shaking her arm, her face almost pained. “Are you okay?”

Garnet took a ragged breath, holding Amethyst tighter. “Yeah. I’m okay. We just need to stop at a gas station soon.”

 

Amethyst had tried acid a couple times before, with friends and by herself. She liked it enough, but it always made her vaguely uncomfortable. Pot was reliable. Acid would either put you through the roof or punch you in the stomach. 

Now she sat next to Garnet and Pearl as they stared, wide-eyed, at the scenery outside. She stared too, wondering what they saw. She was a little sniffly, but other than that, she didn’t feel particularly different yet.

She froze when she felt Pearl put an arm around her shoulder. Clearly her and Garnet were well on their way to wherever they were headed. Amethyst sighed, barely daring to lean into Pearl’s touch. Her mind began to spin.

She had no idea what she had been hoping for when the van had stopped in front of her. She remembered how they had sat there, staring, clearly debating whether or not they would pick her up. Pearl was obviously against it. Amethyst could feel her face heat up as she remembered the look Pearl had given her. It was frustration: one more person to take care of. How many times had she seen that on her parents’ faces?

She pulled away from Pearl, heading to the back of the bus, ignoring Lapis and Peridot as they sat and cooed at each other. She plopped down next to the mess of instruments, pulling her knees up close and resting her chin on them. The bus had started to sway, and she bit on her tongue to fight the nausea. 

“Finally,” she grumbled. “Maybe I’ll start having fun.”

Her voice sounded strange in her ears, echoing and fading in and out. When she spoke, she could almost see colors at the corners of her eyes. She made a few nonsensical noises and, pleased with the results, began to softly chant to herself. She saw the bongos Garnet had been playing and pulled them close to herself, tapping them softly. The colors grew brighter, and she began to tap in a slow, uncomplicated rhythm. She giggled softly, looking up to see if anyone else wanted to join her. Pearl was on her back, staring at the bus’ ceiling. Garnet was staring down at her arms. The fact that no one was near her suddenly filled Amethyst with a black sadness and she couldn’t help but begin to cry, sniffling as she tried to hold her tears back.

Did the other two even like her? They seemed to be rather friendly with each other, even with their completely different personalities. She growled, the colors in her eyes taking on a reddish tone. They were travelling because they wanted to: she was escaping. She had no choice. She heard a door slam ring in her ears and fell on her back, startled. The unseen door slammed again and she slowly sat up, hugging herself tight. The colors were now even more vivid, bleeding into the bus around her. It was hard to tell where the walls and floor ended, if they did end at all. The door slammed louder, and Amethyst began to grind her teeth, the outside world threatening to devour her.

And then there was a hand resting on top of hers. Amethyst whipped her head up to see Garnet, now bearing sunglasses, sitting directly in front of her. In the back of her mind, Amethyst knew that she was real, she could be trusted. She looked up into the taller woman’s face before falling into her arms, crying. The door began to close quieter, but she was suddenly aware of her mother, standing tall in front of her. Amethyst blinked her eyes a couple of times, willing the malicious image away. It blurred slowly out of focus, sharpening again as another woman, unknown to Amethyst, filling her field of vision with her impossible size. Her eyes were black and reflective, and her mint-green hair sharply contrasted with her magenta skin. She bent down, extending a hand to Amethyst, who took it, frightened. The moment her hand closed around hers, she disappeared, leaving her back in Garnet’s arms. Amethyst became aware of a vibration, and realized that Garnet was trembling.

She grabbed her arm, shaking it hard. “Garnet! Are you okay?”

Garnet’s arms drew tighter around her. “Yeah. I’m okay. We just need to stop at a gas station soon.”

Amethyst buried her face back into Garnet, ignoring the strange comment. Another pair of arms drew around them, and Amethyst looked up to see Pearl, clearly shaken but smiling. Peridot and Lapis joined soon after, embracing the three new psychonauts. 

Jasper looked behind her, smiling at the scene. She turned back to the road, tapping her fingers happily on the steering wheel. It looked like they were going to be fine.


	5. Hurting Runs Off My Shoulder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beach-a-Palooza!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just listen to Hendrix or Jerry Garcia for an idea of Greg's act at the end.  
> Disclaimer: I don't hate Rose, she's just kind of awful in this story.

The three sat at the back of the bus, talking quietly. After they had all come down, Lapis and Peridot had left them to talk, joining Jasper at the front of the bus. Every now and then Lapis would look back, curious what they were talking about.

Pearl had gone first, confessing why she had started the road trip in the first place. Garnet told the other two why she had left home, trying hard to define herself. Amethyst, speaking last, spoke slowly about her home and how she had to leave, had to get as far away as possible. When everyone had offered their story it was silent for a moment, everyone considering everyone else. 

Pearl spoke first. “Should I even go to Beach-a-Palooza?”

“What? And miss Sour Cream?” Amethyst quickly forgot about her own troubles when confronted with the travesty of missing a show. She grabbed Pearl’s shoulders, barely restraining herself from shaking her. “Pearl, you’re literally a couple hours away from the grooviest show on the East Coast. If anyone deserves some killer tunes, it’s you.”

Garnet placed a hand on Amethyst’s smiling from behind her shades. Even after she had come down, she liked how they looked on her. “If you avoid the show just because of her, you’ve made it about her. If you go, you’re going for yourself.”

Pearl grabbed their hands, smiling wide, her eyes glistening. She took a breath, and turned to Amethyst. “What about you? What will you do after the show’s over?”

Amethyst shrugged. “Idunno. I’m still thinking I’ll coast into Empire City, try to find some living there. What about you, Garnet?”

Garnet was silent for a moment, fidgeting with her bracelets. “I think I might go home, actually.”

Amethyst’s eyes went wide, but she said nothing. Pearl simply offered a reassuring smile, clapping a hand on her shoulder. Garnet smiled weakly.

Amethyst frowned and reached into her backpack, pulling out a country map that was frayed at the folds. She carefully unfolded it. “Where do you two even live?” The three women pointed at the map, surprisingly close to each other but still rather far, Pearl especially distant from the other two. They all were silent, each trying to hide their own disappointment.

 

“We’re here!” Jasper’s rough voice rang loud through the bus. Five pairs of eyes were immediately glued to the windows as Beach-a-Palooza slowly came into view.

The bus was driving parallel to the Delmarva coast, a thin strip of sand in front of the small town of Beach City. In the distance, however, was a small peninsula housing a cliff. Although they couldn’t see much from their side of the cliff, they could see a massive crowd of tents and vans covering the side they could see, with the owners of everything down at the foot of the cliff.

“How many people come to this?” Pearl whispered.

“I think this year is about 3,000. Not a bad crowd.” Jasper answered proudly, as if she was responsible for the event herself. She pulled the bus to a stop. “Alright, I’m going to take Pearl’s van into town and see what we can do for it. You chicks have fun, I’ll see you soon enough.” The others spilled out of the bus and onto the beach, and the bus roared away.

Pearl looked around anxiously. “So, is there an itinerary?”

Peridot reached into her purse and pulled out a folded-up poster that listed the bands for each day. “Let’s see . . . Ooh! Today is Sour Cream’s performance with Joplin! Sadie Miller, Joan Baez, Joe Cocker—”

“When does Mr. Universe play?” Pearl interrupted. 

Peridot tucked the poster back into her purse. “Beats me, a lot of the smaller bands might not be listed. Who’s Mr. Universe?”

“A friend.” She turned to the crowd and grumbled. “I guess I’ll just ask around.” She took a step forward before turning back to face the others. “Well? We’re here!” The other four looked at each other and followed close behind Pearl, joining the tight-knit crowd.

Immediately Pearl found Amethyst’s hand and squeezed it tight. The shorter woman looked up at her in confusion until she saw the utterly panicked look on Pearl’s face.

“You really don’t like crowds, huh?”

“That’s a bit of an understatement.” She held Amethyst’s hand, occasionally tapping on people’s shoulders, asking if any of them had heard of Mr. Universe. Amethyst couldn’t hear much over the soft roar of the crowd, but based on the many confused looks, Pearl’s search wasn’t going too well.

Garnet, for her part, was also trying not to feel too overwhelmed. One moment she had been behind Pearl and Amethyst, the next they had seemingly vanished in front of her. She turned to Peridot and Lapis only to find them deep in the crowd as well. She bit the inside of her cheek, forcing herself to take slow breaths. Being separated wasn’t the worst thing. She could find them again later. 

She turned to stare at the stage, presently empty. The audience was slowly growing louder as people began to speak up more and more to try to be heard. People were constantly bumping around and into her, and she was glad that her sunglasses hid her minor panic from everyone else.

Panic shifted into shocked curiosity when she saw a tall woman with curly hair and a flower crown, pink from the sun, wearing a star necklace identical to the one her brother had given her. She began to push through the crowd far less gently until she was right next to the stranger.

“Excuse me!” Garnet cupped her hands, yelling over the people. The tall woman turned to Garnet and smiled politely. “That’s a lovely necklace you have!”

“There’s a guy towards the back giving them out, if you want one you’d better hurry!”

Garnet nodded a silent thanks before turning away from the stage, slowly moving back. An idea was forming in her mind.

The tall woman turned away from Garnet to see a familiar strawberry-blonde bob moving away from her. She began deftly weaving through everyone else, reaching her destination and tapping the other woman’s shoulder. Pearl turned around and her eyes lit up.

“Rose!”

“Pearl!” Pearl practically launched herself into her friend’s arms, the two of them squealing and giggling as Amethyst watched, slightly uncomfortable. Rose set Pearl down and adjusted her flower crown.

“Pearl, I don’t understand, I thought you said you weren’t coming?” 

Pearl opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her blue eyes met Rose’s amber ones, and she deflated a little. She had been driving for days, had done more illegal drugs in the last 48 hours than she had done in her entire life, and was finally at Beach-a-Palooza—and she still couldn’t manage to tell Rose how she felt about her.

“You just made it sound like so much fun. Besides, it’s nice to support Greg.”

Rose bounced on the balls of her feet, squealing with excitement. “He’s supposed to be performing any minute now! I’m so excited!” She gave Amethyst a strange look before leaning in close to Pearl, her voice a whisper. “He said that if the audience likes him enough, he might stay out here in Empire City.”

Pearl ignored the lump in her throat. “So, would you be joining him?”

Rose shrugged, but the stars in her eyes were all the confirmation that Pearl needed. She smiled weakly and grabbed Amethyst’s hand again. “Hey, it’s been great, but I left some friends behind in this crowd. I’ll catch up to you later?” Rose nodded and giggled, and Pearl turned and began walking quickly with Amethyst to the edge of the crowd.

“Hey, you don’t want to see Mr. Universe?”

“Why would I? He’s already got his number one fan.” Pearl sniffled loudly and wiped at her nose. “I just want to go sit.” She stopped and turned back to Amethyst. “You go back, you actually wanted to be here.” Pearl sniffled again and made her way to the edge of the crowd, sinking down slowly to sit in the sand.

To her surprise, Amethyst quickly popped out after her, grabbing her tin case and lighter from her pockets. “Here, this’ll help.”

Pearl let out a small chuckle, taking a joint and lighting it, breathing in deep the fragrant smoke. She sighed heavily, resting her head on her knees. “I don’t know why I’m here. I came here to do one thing and I couldn’t. And now,” she choked out, “I’m probably going home alone while she’s here with Mr. friggin’ Universe!” She began to sob, hitting the joint in between ragged breaths.

Amethyst sat down directly next to her, hugging her side. “You don’t need someone like that. You’re too good, Pearl.” Pearl scoffed and took another hit, her tears subsiding as she became quite stoned. “Look, what did I say earlier? If anyone deserves to have the time of their life at Beach-a-Palooza, it’s you. We’re going to stay up late, smoke about twenty of these,” she grinned, shaking her tin gently, “and wake up tomorrow in a tent wearing tie-dye and nothing else. How does that sound?”

Pearl giggled, the image of herself in tie-dye wonderfully absurd. “I’m going to miss you guys so much after all of this.”

Amethyst didn’t respond, only hugging Pearl tighter. The idea of Empire City had grown duller and duller in her mind.

At that point Garnet burst out of the crowd, tripping and landing in the sand next to Amethyst and Pearl. Before they could react she rolled over, clutching a small brown paper sack to her chest.

“I come bearing gifts.” She looked up at her friends, her smile huge. She lifted up her arms and held the bag upside down, letting two identical star necklaces fall into the sand. She lifted her own necklace up from under her shirt, giggling.

The other two quickly grabbed the necklaces and put them on, pulling Garnet up out of the sand and into a tight embrace, tears pricking their eyes. Garnet was the first to pull away, her face full of pride and contentment. 

“Right. I saw a telephone booth up the way a little bit. I’ll be right back.” She left her friends still holding each other in the sand, smiling even harder when Lapis, Peridot, and Jasper appeared out of the crowd, tackling them and laughing.

Apart from some sand, the booth was in excellent shape. Garnet dialed the operator, asking her to make a collect call. The phone rang, and she found herself holding her breath. 

“Hello, this is the Corren household, Ruby speaking.”

“Hey, Mom.” Her voice sounded so small in her ears.

There was a clattering noise as Ruby dropped the phone. “Garnet? Oh my stars, Garnet! How are you? Where are you?” Her voice cracked. “Why didn’t you call?”

“I’m fine, Mom, I’m actually in Delmarva. It’s amazing who you meet hitchhiking.”

“Delmarva? That’s so far! And what do you mean hitchhiking?” There was another clattering noise, and Garnet could hear her mothers arguing over the phone.

“Garnet, how is everything?” Sapphire’s voice was much calmer than Ruby’s.

“Everything’s fine, Ma. I’m in Delmarva with friends.”

“They’re good people?”

“You couldn’t ask for better. Ma, before we continue this conversation, I need to talk to Steven.”

Garnet could hear them both call out for Steven, as well as his excited yells.

“GARNET!”

Garnet wiped the tears from her eyes, chuckling. “Steven, it’s so great to hear from you.”

“It’s so good to hear from you too, we missed you! Are you having the most fun ever?”

“Not quite, because I’m not home yet. I promise you, I’m coming back soon.”

“Promise?” Garnet knew if he was there, he would be staring up at her with the most mournful eyes possible.

“I absolutely promise. Now, I need you to hand the phone to Mom. I’ll talk to you more in just a second.”

She heard him huff before handing the phone over. “That was quick, is everything okay?”

“Yes ma’am. I just have a really big favor to ask you.”

 

Jasper had pulled Amethyst, Pearl, and her girlfriends back into the crowd for the next show: Mr. Universe. To Pearl’s amazement and embarrassment, he was good, far better than the noodlings she had heard whenever she had visited Rose. He had clearly been practicing, and had picked up some pedals that transformed his sound from acoustic clanging into some truly psychedelic tunes. Pearl found herself enjoying the show immensely, and the others were as pleased as she was. Jasper had her arms around Lapis and Peridot, kissing them each from time to time. Amethyst would hoot and holler during Greg’s solos and calm down during his longer jam periods. Garnet eventually joined back up with the group, smiling mysteriously behind her shades. Pearl slipped her arms around her friends, who responded in kind. For driving across the country to end up watching the man who stole Rose’s heart before she could, she was having a pretty damned good time.


	6. Got To Get Back To The Land

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The homecoming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Free Parking: Choose Your Own Music

The next two days passed in a blur of smoke and music. Sour Cream and Janis Joplin nearly started a riot. Peridot kept on seeing someone who she was sure was Jimi Hendrix. Amethyst  woke up in a tent that had no one she knew in it, waking up everyone else with her triumphant laughter. Pearl didn’t see Rose again.

The last day, the tents on the side of the cliff came down, and vehicles spilled into the streets, eager to return to their homes. Jasper’s bus sat a ways away from the cliff, Pearl’s fixed van sitting next to it. The six women exchanged hugs and phone numbers, and Jasper’s bus quickly faded into the distance, seeking the next festival.

Garnet and Pearl checked and double-checked Pearl’s van, making sure they had everything they needed. Peridot had been kind enough to leave them with some extra food. After a last check, they piled in, Amethyst trudging slowly into the vehicle.

“So, Amethyst, Empire City’s about two hours away. Do we need to stop anywhere first?” Pearl waited for a response before turning around. To her surprise, Amethyst was crying, glaring at her. “Amethyst, what’s wrong?” Amethyst said nothing, her lip trembling as she stared at Pearl and Garnet in anger. “Amethyst?”

“I can’t believe we’re just leaving each other like this. It’s so wrong.” She smacked the window next to her hard, biting her lip hard to keep from crying. “We meet up and go on the trip of our lives, and then we’re supposed to just go back to normal? Or you guys are, at least. What the hell am I supposed to go back to?

“Garnet, you’ve got the best family possible, and Pearl’s got her little slice of normal. Where am I supposed to go?”

Garnet pulled the van over, tapping her fingers on the wheel nervously. “You could come with me.”

Amethyst wiped her face with her shirt. “What?”

“Well, I talked with my parents at the beginning of Beach-a-Palooza, and I happened to ask if they wouldn’t mind having a guest for a bit. Maybe even longer than a bit.”

Garnet found herself being pulled violently back against her seat, Amethyst’s arms wrapped tight around her waist as she whispered soft “thank you”s over and over.

Garnet looked over at Pearl. “You’re welcome to come too if you want.”

Pearl smiled. “Maybe for a little bit. But after this, I’m going home, and then I’m going to travel like you did. I need to settle some things for myself.” She grinned to herself. “I’ll make you two a promise though; I’ll be back.”

 

One Year Later

The van pulled up in front of the Corren residence, and four women quickly spilled out. One of the neighbors peeped from behind his blinds. The van was an oddity: reds and blues and purples swirled together in a braided rainbow, spelling out “Crystal” in cursive.

Steven heard a knock and went to the door. Both of his moms were running errands, and Garnet and Amethyst were playing guitar in the backyard. He opened the door and was surprised to see four strangely dressed women standing in front of him. The one to his left had hair so black it almost looked blue; she held hands with a very short blonde woman who wore John Lennon style glasses. Next to her was a tall, burly woman with wild hair and a burned face. Standing in front of them was a thin woman with strawberry-blonde hair down to her shoulders, wearing a baggy white shirt tucked into blue jeans.

“Yes, may I help you?” Steven’s eyes were wide.

“Steven, is it? I don’t know if Garnet has mentioned me, but I’m Pearl, and—”

“Ohmigosh, Pearl!” She was stunned by a sudden hug from the boy. “Garnet told me all about you!” He turned his attention to the other three. “You must be the guys from the bus!”

“You got it, kid.” Jasper winked.

Steven grabbed Pearl’s hand, pulling her excitedly to the backyard. When Garnet and Amethyst saw their visitors, they quickly dropped their instruments, rushing over to hug them. After several minutes of laughing and cheering, the group had settled into a circle on the grass.

“So, Amethyst, I guess you live here now?”

Amethyst leaned into Garnet, nodding happily. “I’ve been going to the university in the next town over. Once I graduate, we’re going to find an apartment somewhere.”

Garnet grinned. She was still wearing the same sunglasses, the plastic now somewhat faded. “I’ve just been working as a mechanic. Now I could actually fix the van.”

“That’s wonderful! You two have been keeping busy. No more travelling for you, Garnet?”

“Not until he’s out of the house,” Garnet replied, ruffling Steven’s hair. “Besides, I really do think I found what I was looking for. You look like you’ve been having fun, too.”

Pearl nodded. “At first I was just bouncing around the coast, seeing all the cities. Empire City is vastly overrated.” She turned to the three girlfriends. “Imagine my surprise when I found them after I started to go back inland.”

“So where’s the bus?” Amethyst asked.

“I left it with some friends when Pearl said she wanted to come visit you guys. Figured that I didn’t want to take up the whole street.” Peridot and Lapis leaned into her, relaxing. “We’ve still been exploring the cosmos.”

Pearl turned back to her friends, pulling her star necklace up from her shirt. Garnet and Amethyst responded in kind, and Steven’s mouth dropped into a surprised O. The women laughed, and conversation fell into a steady rhythm, Steven asking Pearl everything he could think of about last summer. The more he asked, the more she could feel herself relax, until the sky was dark and Steven was yawning. He shuffled inside, past Ruby and Sapphire who watched their daughter and her strange friends with smiles on their faces.

Garnet slipped inside and came out with some beers, passing them out to everyone quickly.

“I know it’s summer, but considering we didn’t get to meet until now, I propose a toast.” She lifted her can high, taking off her sunglasses to look each of her friends in the eye. “To a new decade!”

The other five raised theirs high in turn, cheering.

“To a new decade!” They clicked their drinks and cheered again, excited for the next ten years, and every year to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This was a lot of fun to write, and I hope y'all enjoyed it too. Any comments or criticisms are always welcome.

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to do as much research on keeping stuff historically accurate, but there might be some details fudged here or there for the sake of narrative/author's convenience.


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